Arsenal may yet sign a defender in the January transfer window, and they are actively looking at players, according to David Ornstein.

Three-and-a-half weeks into the January transfer window, it’s been a very quiet one for Arsenal so far.

The only real business the club have done is to recall a few loanees, with Marquinhos returning from FC Nantes, Mauro Bandeira from Colchester United, Omar Rekik from Wigan, and Mika Biereth from Motherwell.

Biereth has since gone back out on loan to Sturm Graz, and he likely won’t be the only one to make a loan exit in the final week of the window.

But when it comes to potential incomings, David Ornstein tells Sky Sports that Arsenal are mostly focusing on one area of the pitch.

“There is a possibility of some defensive reinforcement, that would be a bit of a reactive move to things happening in the market and Mikel Arteta deciding that he needs some extra cover,” Ornstein said.

“They are short in defence, which he’s spoken about on the record.

“[It would require] the right opportunity for him arising, and the terms of the deal being acceptable.

“They are looking at players, there will be options that they have considered and know whether they are or are not moveable on.

“But anything like that, as far as I know, is in its infancy, and there’s a good chance that that won’t happen.”

It’s obviously not the exciting update Arsenal fans were probably hoping for, but it’s not entirely surprising the Gunners are holding off on their big business until summer, when they’ll have more money to work with.

Arsenal would be severely limited in any move for a centre-forward or a midfielder this month, and they’d probably end up doing a short-term deal for a player who would be replaced in the summer anyway.